News

News covers the Saint Francis community’s latest happenings, from the triumphs of the Homecoming Court to the latest exploits of the school band.

Road Trip! Holy Cross Spirit Week  

by Sungwook Yang (’26) and Anika Bastin (’23) | March 31, 2023 In late March, Saint Francis hosted its first annual Holy Cross Spirit Week, intended to ground the school’s spirit in Holy Cross values. Over the course of the week, Lancers embarked on a road trip to visit Saint Francis’s sister schools in the…

Cracking the code: all-female hackathon AdaHacks IV

by Thanisha Kapur (’25) and Avi Gupta (’24) | March 31, 2023 On March 11, Saint Francis’s Girls Who Code (GWC) club hosted AdaHacks, its fourth-ever hackathon, in collaboration with YouTube. AdaHacks, a fourteen-hour hackathon aimed to encourage girls to pursue STEM, provided participants with the opportunity to attend workshops, listen to guest speakers, and…

Coding “upside down”: LancerHacks VI

by Rohan Sinha (’23) and Katherine Winton (’25) | March 10, 2023 On February 11, Saint Francis welcomed around 120 students to participate in LancerHacks VI, the sixth annual 12-hour hackathon hosted by the Programming Club. The coding competition welcomed students of all programming backgrounds to collaborate on projects. With the theme “Upside Down,” LancerHacks…

“Flying Around the World”: Annual International Showcase builds community

by Smriti Vijay (’25) | March 10, 2023 Manned by the board of the International Club, a plane took off on February 24, 2023 from Saint Francis, signaling the start of the annual International Showcase. This year’s event centered on the theme of “flying around the world” and featured creative art forms from a multitude…

Much-anticipated TEDxSaintFrancis 2023 shines on the stage

by Will Li (’23) and Utkarsh Agarwal (’23) | March 10, 2023 On Saturday, March 4, TEDxSaintFrancisHS returned to the Performing Arts Center for its fourth annual event. A diverse lineup of thirteen speakers from all four grades shared stories with the Saint Francis community on themes ranging from digital detoxes to multicultural identity. The…

Saint Francis celebrates its diversity through first ever multicultural week

by Smriti Vijay (’25) | February 3, 2023 From January 23 to January 27, Saint Francis hosted its first-ever Multicultural Week. Several affinity groups organized activities to share their cultural traditions. Each day featured different themes, which encouraged students to wear cultural dress to school. Both students and educators were invited to participate in and…

Interfaith Prayer Service celebrates student leadership

by Sahana Rao (’26) | February 3, 2023 In line with the year’s theme of Celebrating Family, Saint Francis held its annual Interfaith Prayer Service, an event in which students from various religious backgrounds shared their faith with the school community. The day featured student-led prayers and traditions from the faiths of Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism,…

Long-awaited Eggers Innovation Center finally opens

by Aanya Mittu (’25) and Rohan Sinha (’23) | February 3, 2023 After long hours of sitting in classrooms with the faint sound of construction in the background, Lancer faculty and students finally walked the hallowed halls of the new Eggers Innovation Center. Opening ceremonies, tours, and prayers reminded students that joining Saint Francis does…

“The Sparrow” sweeps the stage

by Sahana Rao (’26) | November 18, 2022 This fall, Saint Francis put on a production of The Sparrow. Audiences watched as lead actress Maria Ana (’23) played Emily Book, a high school girl who secretly has magical powers. Emily moves back to her old town after a traumatic bus accident many years ago killed…

Saint Francis turns “upside down” for Homecoming

by Anika Bastin (’23) | November 18, 2022 During the last week of October, Saint Francis held a Stranger Things-themed Homecoming. Associated Student Body (ASB), Rally Board, Student Councils, and Rage Cage Captains worked together to create a week full of exciting activities for faculty and students. Homecoming kicked off with Spirit Week, to fuel…

Saint Francis celebrates the Feast of All Saints

by Smriti Vijay (’25) | November 18, 2022 In early November, Saint Francis students and faculty gathered in the Burns Gym to celebrate the All Saints’ Day Mass. Organized by the Saint Francis Campus Ministry, this annual Mass commemorated saints of the present and those who have passed on. Because All Saints’ Day is a…

First post-pandemic indoor rally celebrates student and faculty feats

by Anika Bastin (’23) | October 7, 2022 On September 23, 2022, Saint Francis held the first indoor Back-to-School rally in three years. It began with a silent entry, representing the silence at school due to the COVID-19 quarantine. Rally Board then played a montage of several clips related to COVID-19 that highlighted the loss…

Going back to the roots: Holy Cross Assembly

by Da Hee Yang (’23) and Sungwook Yang (’26) | October 7, 2022 On September 15, Saint Francis students and faculty gathered for the Holy Cross Assembly in the Burns Gym to discuss what it means to be Holy Cross and how to live out this year’s BRIC theme of Celebrating Family. The assembly, which…

Connection Days offer Class of 2026 a preview of student life

by Rohan Sinha (’23) | October 7, 2022 From August 8 to 9, Saint Francis faculty and students gathered on campus for the first-ever Freshman Connection Days, an event to welcome the Class of 2026.  This new addition to freshman programming enabled the newest members of the Lancer community to explore campus opportunities before the…

Saint Francis celebrates final rally festivities

by Anika Bastin (’23) and Rohit Khorana (’24) | April 8, 2022 On April 1, Saint Francis held its last rally of the year, filled with fun and exciting events. Students and faculty alike partook in the festivities, showing off their school spirit in their own unique way. The rally was preceded by the Spring…

“Mamma Mia!”: here we go again!

by Anika Jain (’22) | April 8, 2022 A project over two years in the making, Saint Francis’ Theater Department staged a wonderful production of Mamma Mia! for this year’s spring musical. Although the musical was ready to take the stage in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the unfortunate cancellation of the show just…

Activities Office implements major changes to ASB and student leadership

by Arhana Aatresh (’23) and Anika Jain (’22) | April 8, 2022 The Activities Office recently announced changes to the structure of student leadership to be implemented in the 2022-2023 school year. Starting next fall, Saint Francis’s Associated Student Body (ASB) will be composed of four elected officials and four appointed officials, with the Social…

SFHacks hosts the annual LancerHacks event

by Ridhima Vakkalagadda (’24) and Rohit Khorana (’24) | March 21, 2022 On March 5, the Saint Francis Programming Club hosted its fifth annual LancerHacks, a hackathon filled with fun activities and coding for students from the eighth to twelfth grade. The event ran for thirteen hours, from 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. Teams were…

Saint Francis celebrates its first Carnaval

by Sama Karim (’24) and Anika Bastin (’23) | March 21, 2022 On March 1, 2022, students gathered during lunch to celebrate the Lusófono holiday of Carnaval. It is most popularly celebrated in Lusófono cultures, countries and regions who share Portuguese cultural influence. The event was independently hosted by Lusófono students and included music, food,…

TEDxSaintFrancisHS takes the stage

by Elsa Ying (’23) | March 21, 2022 On February 26, the Saint Francis community gathered to hear from thirteen student speakers at the TEDxSaintFrancisHS event. TEDx events are independently hosted by local organizations as a branch of the main TED speaker series, and the Saint Francis TEDx crew worked for over six months to…

Interfaith Prayer Service creates a means of cultural connection

by Shawnuk Ballal (’25) and Rohit Khorana (’24) | February 14, 2022 In late January, Saint Francis held the Interfaith Prayer Service, an annual event where students from diverse religious backgrounds share stories from their faith and reflect on their experiences. Mr. Andrew Brown, the Associate Director of Campus Ministry and Ignite Youth Group moderator,…

Working “9 to 5”: student-run musical wows audience

by Caleb Obico (’25) and Anika Bastin (’23) | February 14, 2022 From January 27 to 29, the Performing Arts Center opened for performances of 9 to 5: The Musical, the student-run show. The musical, directed by Sarah Vorrath (’22), focuses on three women in a 1970s workplace — Doralee, Judy, and Violet, played by…

Heed Homecoming! Medieval festivities commence at Saint Francis

by Elsa Ying (’23) and Anika Bastin (’23) | November 19, 2021 In late October, Saint Francis High School held its first Homecoming in two years. Faculty and students alike found themselves swept into the passion of the week, enthusiastically taking part in all of the events. A true celebration of community, the week included…

“A Little Princess” takes the stage by storm

By Will Li (’23), Matthew Tran (’23), Anika Bastin (’23), and Elsa Ying (’23) | November 19, 2021 The Saint Francis Performing Arts Center reopened this past November to welcome the fall play, A Little Princess. Audiences watched as young Sara Crewe, played by Maria Ana (’23), arrived at a London boarding school after a…

Recontextualizing Christ: Jesus Reframed Retreat returns!

by Ridhima Vakkalagadda (’24) and Anika Bastin (’23) | November 19, 2021 Saint Francis hosted the Jesus Reframed Retreat on November 6. This retreat was full of games, stories, and other fun activities to help students connect to God with a focus on fostering a sense of community—something especially important in recent times. Everyone who…

Anamantangi Polynesian Voices hosts Youth Leadership Summit

by Elsa Ying (’23) | October 11, 2021 On September 25, Saint Francis educators and students attended the Youth Leadership Summit in East Palo Alto, hosted by the local community group Anamantangi Polynesian Voices. This event served as a special occasion for Polynesian students, staff, and families within the broader community and to provide a…

Illuminating the future: Light the Way breaks ground!

by Anika Bastin (’23) | October 11, 2021 Walking onto campus, there is a noticeable difference from before the pandemic. In the place of the old 300 building stands a fenced off area of construction and dust. So, what happened? The answer is the beginning of a long-awaited project, “Light the Way,” which seeks to…

Saint Francis’s Back-to-School Rally sparks school spirit

by Taylor Luna (’25), Elsa Ying (’23), and Rohit Khorana (’24) | October 11, 2021 On September 24, Saint Francis held the first rally of the year on the football field, as COVID-19 restrictions prevented indoor gatherings. This was a new experience for everyone, from underclassmen who had never attended a rally before to upperclassmen…

A sneak peek of a “Tale As Old As Time”

by Sophia Tran (’24) | May 10, 2021 A wilting rose hiding deep within the walls of a frigid castle. A hideous beast lurking in the shadows, shackled by a curse. A beautiful maiden searching for adventure, and perhaps, even love. And… a diabolical villain called COVID-19? Saint Francis High School’s spring musical production is…

Lancer spirit is back: Cirque du Saint Francis and Spirit Week 2021

by Ava Malae (’24) | May 10, 2021 Saint Francis High School hosted its first in-person Spring Spirit Week through the week of April 19, 2021—the first week all students could return full-time to in-person learning since March 2020. ASB member Nick Weitzel (’21) stated, “Since we hadn’t had any in-person events, being at school…

Restoring our planet: Earth Week at Saint Francis

 by Riley Quigley (’23) | May 10, 2021 If you were in the Quad on Thursday, April 22—Earth Day—you might have noticed the table with dozens of sprouting plants. These seedlings were free for all students, along with compostable pots in which students could carry the plants home, encouraging students to learn how to garden…

Saint Francis athletics springs into action

by Ava Malae (’24) | March 29, 2021 Saint Francis athletics recently were able to begin their seasons for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletic Director Michael Pilawski explained that starting sports this year was not an easy process. “There was just a lot of guidance from the state of…

Lenten fundraiser aims to provide 20,000 meals

by Kasper Halevy (’24) | March 29, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and philanthropist Nelson Mandela once said, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.” In response to the Lenten call to grow in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving through care and compassion, Saint Francis High School has kicked…

“Bright Star” is a bright success: Saint Francis’s 2021 student-run musical

by Sophia Tran (’24) | March 29, 2021 From Thursday, March 18, to Sunday, March 21, Saint Francis’s annual student-run musical hit the stage with a new COVID-safe format, showcasing the sweet, bluegrass-style musical Bright Star. Yet the transition to a virtual performance did not inhibit students from organizing a stunning show. From its swinging…

TEDxSaintFrancisHS 2021 was a success!

by Sophia Tran (’24) | March 1, 2021 What does it take for a voice to be heard? Well, it took months of preparation for the TEDxSaintFrancisHS crew to create this year’s TEDx (Technology, Entertainment, and Design, with the x representing an independently organized TED event) conference at Saint Francis High School, an event organized…

A pandemic-aware Ash Wednesday service

by Ava Malae (‘24) | March 1, 2020 On February 17, Saint Francis celebrated Ash Wednesday with an in-person liturgy on campus in the quad. “Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we cannot gather indoors for worship in Santa Clara County so we wanted to adapt and meet in our quad around the Holy Family Statue,” said…

Annual Interfaith Prayer Service: unity in diversity

by Kasper Halevy (‘24) | March 1, 2021 In the words of National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.” The seemingly interminable pandemic did not deter Saint Francis from conducting its annual Interfaith Prayer Service in all religion classes on January 28 and 29.…

Saint Francis’ first-ever Haunted Drive-Thru

by Da Hee Yang (’23) | November 16, 2020 Saint Francis hosted the first-ever Haunted Drive-Thru on Friday, October 30. The event was designed specifically for students to engage with the school community and feel the Halloween spirit even during the pandemic. Students, teachers, and parents drove their cars through various clubs’ uniquely-themed booths in…

Saint Francis plans to reopen campus with a hybrid schedule

by Ava Malae | November 16, 2020 On Friday, October 30, 2020, Mr. Jason Curtis and Mrs. Katie Teekell announced that Saint Francis may reopen campus next semester for live instruction in the form of a hybrid model. “We’re certainly planning to return to a hybrid model in January and we feel pretty confident that…

A new leadership group on the rise

by Sophia Tran | October 5, 2020 A new opportunity to impact the Saint Francis community is emerging, and the group behind it has big plans to bring forth change. This new group’s name has yet to be decided, but through the coordination of the students, the name will represent the vision of the students…